Her Escape, His Obsession

Chapter 3

Tara’s POV

I can still remember the night I left Aiyetoro as though it were yesterday. The crickets sang louder than usual, or maybe it was only my pounding heart making every sound feel amplified. Mama’s eyes glistened with tears as she pressed a folded bundle of clothes into my bag, handed me some money and a phone from Mrs Rose. She held my wrist with trembling fingers.

“Don’t forget us, Tara. Don’t forget who you are,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

My youngest brother clung to my clothes, refusing to let go. I bent down, kissed his forehead, and promised I would send for him one day. My immediate younger brother, usually so composed, was wiping his cheeks when he thought no one was looking.

The hardest part was leaving before Papa returned from the farm. I didn’t dare imagine his fury when he found my bed empty. For weeks, I replayed the picture in my mind, Papa pacing the compound, his cane in hand, his voice echoing through the village: “Where is she? Where has that girl gone?” The shame I must have brought him still burns my chest. But I had to go. Staying meant living in chains. Leaving meant hope, even if it killed me.

I told myself one thing over and over: One day, Mama and Papa will understand. One day, they will all see that this sacrifice was worth it.

Life in London was nothing like the stories whispered in Aiyetoro. The city never slept; the buses roared past, even at midnight, and the sky was often a dull shade of gray, as though the sun had grown weary. My first week felt like drowning in a sea of noise and faces.

Emily, my roommate, became my lifeline, helping me navigate my new normal. She was patient with me when I mistook the oven for storage space, or when I stared helplessly at the washing machine’s buttons until she laughed so hard she almost fell. “Tara, you’re like someone straight out of the medieval ages !” she teased.

I laughed along, though inside I worried. School was starting soon, and my pockets were still empty. Each day I checked the school’s career site for internship openings, praying someone, anyone, would take a chance on me.

School was resuming in three weeks, and I still hadn’t found a job. How would I fulfill my promise to send money home and make life easier for Mama and my siblings if I didn’t find one?

I was deep in thought as I waited at the reception of the school’s career support department for the umpteenth time that week, praying silently for an opening.

“You are in luck, young lady,” the receptionist smiled. “There’s an internship opening for Engineering students at JTR Technologies, and we believe you’re the right fit. If you’ll just fill out the application forms quickly, you’ll get a response in 24 hours.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I wanted to cry, laugh, scream. Instead, I whispered a prayer: Thank You, Lord.

The night before my first day, Emily stood in our room with her arms folded, shaking her head.

“You’re not wearing that, are you?” she said, pointing at my neatly ironed but hopelessly outdated skirt and blouse.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked defensively.

She gave me a look that needed no words. Within minutes, my bed was buried under her clothes. She picked out a crisp white shirt and tailored black trousers, then rummaged for a pair of modest heels. “Professional, but not boring. Trust me.”

I hesitated, cheeks burning. “Emily, I can’t wear your clothes.”

“You can and you will,” she said, smirking. “First impressions matter. Who knows, maybe your new boss will notice you.”

I rolled my eyes, but my laughter betrayed me. Beneath the humor, I was grateful. Without Emily, I might have walked in looking like I’d stepped out of 1905.

“Tara, we are definitely going shopping at the end of the month. You need a wardrobe overhaul,” Emily teased.

JTR Technologies was nothing like the dusty offices back home. The moment I stepped inside, I was swallowed by sleek glass walls, bright white lights, and the soft hum of machines. Everything gleamed, floors polished like mirrors, desks lined with monitors that looked more advanced than anything I had seen.

I trailed behind the HR officer as she introduced me to my department. The people seemed friendly enough, though busy. My eyes lingered on the glowing screens displaying numbers, graphs, and codes that made little sense to me.

“This is where innovation happens,” the HR officer explained. “JTR leads in cutting-edge solutions.”

As she spoke, I couldn’t help imagining how such brilliance could transform Aiyetoro. Solar panels to power homes, machines to ease farmer’s labor, opportunities for my siblings to learn beyond the limits of our small village school.

Sigh… Aiyetoro. I thought of Mama and my siblings. Very soon, I would be able to send money home. I will make them proud.

It was at that moment, I felt someone staring at me.

As we walked toward the open office space, I felt it before I saw him, a presence. My eyes lifted, and there he was. A man standing by the glass partition, tall and composed, his dark suit cut perfectly, his sharp features softened only by the calm intensity in his eyes.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

Our gazes collided, and it felt as though time slowed. His eyes lingered on me, studying me in a way that made my pulse race. I dropped my gaze quickly, heat rising in my cheeks. Focus, Tara. You didn’t come here for distractions.

“Mr. Adams,” the HR officer said, her voice polite. “This is Tara, one of our new interns.”

Mr. Adams? My head snapped up.

The man’s lips curved into the faintest smile, as if amused by my shock. “Welcome to JTR, Tara. I hope you find your time here rewarding.” His voice was smooth, steady, carrying an authority that commanded silence without effort.

I managed a stiff nod, my throat dry.

Steve Adams. The CEO himself. And here I was, an inexperienced girl from Aiyetoro, standing under his gaze like a deer caught in headlights.

As we moved on, I could still feel his eyes on me. It unsettled me, yet… something about it fascinated me.

In a few minutes, I was at my desk, reviewing some of the innovative projects JTR was working on. I was fascinated by the inventions, I couldn’t wait to start working on some of these projects.

“Gather round, new employees and interns,” the HR personnel announced. “I’d like you to meet Mr. Steve Adams, JTR’s new CEO and Head Engineer. For those of you who are new here, it’s important to stay updated on our latest projects.”

My pulse quickened. I could feel his eyes again on me. Slowly, I raised my head, meeting his gaze more boldly this time as he began to speak.

I studied his features while he addressed the team. He looked like someone straight out of the romantic novels I had read in high school, dangerous, intriguing, impossible to ignore.

Focus, Tara! I snapped myself out of those unfamiliar thoughts just as Mr. Adams concluded his remarks.

As the team dispersed, I lingered for a moment, pretending to rearrange the files on my desk. I could still feel his presence, the weight of his gaze pressing against me even in the crowded room.

When I finally dared to glance up, our eyes locked again, longer this time. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, almost unreadable, as though he knew something I didn’t. My stomach tightened.

Why was the CEO of JTR looking at me like that?

I forced my attention back to my notes, but my hands betrayed me, trembling ever so slightly.

This was ridiculous. I was here to work, to build a future, to make Mama proud. I had no time for distractions, especially not from a man whose presence felt like both a promise and a warning.

And yet, as I packed my bag to leave, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

Something told me my life was about to change.

And not entirely on my own terms.